Wineglass Bay & Freycinet NP, Tasmania

We spent a wonderful five days at Edge of the Bay Resort, near Freycinet National Park in Tasmania, with Helen, Tony & Claire.  It was a very relaxing five days, spent walking, cycling, reading, cooking and, of course, eating. Barring the first day, we had magnificent, warm, sunny and clear weather!

Edge of the Bay Resort, Cottage # 7's living room and view

Edge of the Bay Resort's beach

We chose the only evening that it rained to have a BBQ!

Together we all walked up to Wineglass Bay lookout, down to Wineglass Bay beach, along the Isthmus track over to Hazards Beach and then back to the carpark near Wineglass Bay lookout – a 10km fairly easy circuit walk.

Walking along Hazards Beach

The following day, we borrowed bikes from the resort and had a little ride around the townships near Coles Bay.

Dead end down a hill? No, thanks! We can see the view from here.

For Helen’s milestone birthday,  we had dinner at Freycinet Lodge’s restaurant.  Although all our meals were spectacular, I only took photos of the butter.  It was very impressive butter …

Butter balls!

Helen, Claire, Nic and I ascended Mt Amos, described as a “steep and strenuous” hike, not to be undertaken during wet conditions.  Luckily, it was a baking hot day.  The walk certainly was steep and strenuous; the steep bit starting about 1km into the walk and from there was pretty much straight up huge granite boulders.  Helen and Claire paused about halfway up, while Nic and I continued clambering to the magnificent summit, where we had 360 degree views of the bay.  It was just as hairy coming back down again, involving lots of crab-like scuttling.

Pausing, on the way up to Mt Amos.

Oanh scrambling up Mt Amos.

Freycinet Peninsula from Mt Amos

We also drove up a steep and winding road to visit Tourville Lighthouse.  Well, the lighthouse was not really the attraction – the views from the lighthouse surrounds were!

Freycinet NP from Tourville lighthouse

Another treat (thanks Tony!) was going on a cruise of Wineglass Bay.  By this stage, it was seeming to be a trip during which we would attempt to view Wineglass Bay from every possible angle.  I don’t think any of us, however, got sick of seeing it, nor did we cease to marvel.  We failed, however, to see any dolphins during the cruise, and only caught the flipper of a sea lion (the tour guide – Dan – informed us that they hold their flippers in the air as a cooling device).

Slant of Land.

Exactly like a bunch of shags on a rock.

(All the rest of the photos,here.)